Advice - missed flight due to traffic

budgetflyer

Insurance cover is useless unless it covers what you need it for. What good is a policy with a £250 excess for instance? You would be as well not insured. Sometimes the difference in a good policy and a as good as useless "basic" policy may only be £10 for a 2 week holiday

photome

jacques_chirac wrote: »

I am what you would class as an experienced traveller and I have never stayed overnight at an airport hotel. As others have said, you just need to give yourself plenty of time to get there, and five hours from Nottingham to LGW is not adequate.

5 hours wasn't enough on this occasion but wouldn't it normally be.

It looks like its a journey that should be done in about 2 hours normally


allowing for check in +2 hours and an hour for hold ups, I would think most people would prob leave about 5 hours before.

If it was me I would prob have left 6 hours before or the night before

jacques_chirac

photome wrote: »

5 hours wasn't enough on this occasion but wouldn't it normally be.

It looks like its a journey that should be done in about 2 hours normally


allowing for check in +2 hours and an hour for hold ups, I would think most people would prob leave about 5 hours before.

If it was me I would prob have left 6 hours before or the night before

It takes at least three hours to get to LGW from Nottingham on a straight run - I'd love to know where you've got two from!

Gloomendoom

jacques_chirac wrote: »

It takes at least three hours to get to LGW from Nottingham on a straight run - I'd love to know where you've got two from!

Two hours is possible... if you can average over 80 mph for the trip.

jacques_chirac

Gloomendoom wrote: »

Two hours is possible... if you can average over 80 mph for the trip.

On that basis, so is half an hour

ferf1223

jackieblack wrote: »

It is the travellers responsibility to get to the airport on time.

This is why we always travel the night before and stay overnight at a Premier Inn/similar.
Even if you don't arrive at the hotel until very late, for the small amount this costs (relative to the cost of the trip) it's not worth the risk.

agree - plus the holiday seems to start a bit early and no getting up at stupid o'clock to hit the road (after a night of waking up every 30 mins thinking we overslept)...it's worth it for the more relaxed start to the holiday we think.

We can get to all the London airports in about an hour and still choose to stay at a hotel the night before...I cannot imagine getting in the car 4, 5, 6 hours before our flight and setting off...I would be a wreck the whole time sure around the next bend there was a pile-up waiting for us.

peachyprice

jacques_chirac wrote: »

I am what you would class as an experienced traveller and I have never stayed overnight at an airport hotel. As others have said, you just need to give yourself plenty of time to get there, and five hours from Nottingham to LGW is not adequate.

Me neither, just leave plenty of time and know your alternative routes

photome wrote: »

5 hours wasn't enough on this occasion but wouldn't it normally be.

It looks like its a journey that should be done in about 2 hours normally


allowing for check in +2 hours and an hour for hold ups, I would think most people would prob leave about 5 hours before.

If it was me I would prob have left 6 hours before or the night before

I only live 60 miles from Gatwick and wouldn't leave anything less than 2 hours travelling time during the day, the only exception being if it's either a very early (6-7am) or very late flight (10-11pm)

zagfles

elsien wrote: »

Missed flights are usually only covered on the insurance due to problems with public transport. If you're driving and caught in a jam then a missed flight is perceived as being down to you.

Any decent policy will also cover you for traffic delays. Mine says you're covered if the delay is severe enough to warrant reporting on a recognised motoring association website...just checked the RAC site and they're reporting 1634 incidents at the moment!

FreddieFrugal

I always aim to be parked at the airport With at least 2 hours and 15 - 30 mins before flight times. Then add on predicted journey time. Then add an hour on to that. Hopefully that amount of time in advance I should be sat in car with everything packed ready to go.

To be fair though, it's always a possibility that someone can't leave the extra time due to commitments or work. On a normal day 5 hours should have been ok. Although as suggested if it was possible I'd prefer more.

I've only ever left for flights early morning though so we've always been really early

Doshwaster

My golden rule with airports is that you can't get there too soon. I'd much rather spend a couple of hours in the airport bar than getting stressed in a traffic jam. I recently got to Heathrow at 5pm for a 10pm departure. After a few hours in the bar I really slept well on that flight!

For a morning flight I often book an airport hotel for the night before as I'd be paranoid about sleeping in at home and it makes the holiday feel longer.